10 Kickstarter projects you will be buying in 2014

The tech contenders we're backing to be big

The Ca7ch Lightbox is a great little tool for taking mobile photos without touching your smartphone. The impossibly small, 8-megapixel camera clips on to the user's clothing and can sync with Android and iOS via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Pressing the only button takes a snap, which syncs it back to the phone, which sends it to the cloud, where you get unlimited storage. You can also use the phone to programme pics and videos at regular intervals, while the powerful clip-on it magnet means so you can attach it to items of clothing like baseball caps without risking loss.

TR says: This is great for capturing memories in those moments you just don't want to be holding your phone, say at concerts, riding on a rollercoaster, paddling in the ocean or holding a pint.

5. Bloomsky

"That bloody forecast!" we hear you cry as you arrive at the office in sodden Bermuda shorts, "My iPhone weather app promised sun!"

The folks behind Bloomsky Weather Station and iPhone app want to end those damp-trousered blues by crowd sourcing the weather for you. The 5-in-1 device measures temperature, humidity, air-pressure, UV and also has a rain sensor. All of the data is fed back to the app in real time.

If you're on the move, the app pulls in real-time data from the nearest basestation or one close to where you're heading. The station also has a HD camera taking frequent pictures of the sky, so you can check out the weather at any time.

TR says: Our only concern with Bloomsky is that the Brits on the TR team will have less to complain about. Otherwise, hyper-local weather data is alright by us.

6. Avegant Glyph

If you think this looks like a pair of headphones with a massively thick headband, well that's sort of what it is. However, within that flip-down headband, the $500 Avegant Glyph personal media viewer hosts some pretty mind-blowing display technology.

The Virtual Retinal Display has no screen. Instead it uses 2 million micro-mirrors and patented optics to project sharp, true-to-life, solid images directly into the back of your retinas. It can interface with any HDMI device, making it perfect for immersive VR, console and mobile gaming experiences, while it's also great for video, including 3D. Crucially, it isn't that much bigger than the headphones you're already carrying around.

TR says: Outside of the Oculus Rift it's one of the great hopes for VR thanks to the head-tracking tech. As far as we're concerned, no long flight will be bearable until we have a Glyph in our travel backpack.

7. PocketScan

It isn't often, but once in a blue moon, we regret chucking away that lumbering flatbed scanner. Although the space was saved, there's still an occasional need to scan in signed documents, photos, book pages, artwork, newspaper clippings and the like.

Enter PocketScan. It allows you to move across any surface (kind of like you're painting it) and instantly see the results rendered on your screen. Beyond that scanned text and tables can be opened and edited in Microsoft Office (astounding!) and printed text can be translated (even better!). Photos appear crisp, bright and colourful, rather than the reflected mess you see when you use a camera to ditigise a printed shot.